Pineapple Torte

Traditional French tortes are ridiculously involved and include entire poached pears or whole apricots in the middle with 3  or 4 different kinds of filling for each layer, and not a whole lot of actual cake. So I'm making this for my torte in class. I love pineapple!

INgredients.

3 eggs, separated

1/2 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar, divided

1 20 ounce can of crushed pineapple

1 tsp. vanilla

2 1/2 c. cake flour (all purpose will work too)

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

Fillling:

1 1/2 c. heavy whipping cream

1/4 c. powdered sugar

1/2 tsp. almond extract

2 TBS. slivered almonds (optional)

Cream butter and 3/4 cup sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in egg yolks. Drain the pineapple reserving 2/3 c. juice. In a bowl combine the the juice 3/4 c. pineapple and vanilla.( Set the remaining pineapple aside for filling. ) In bowl combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; add to the creamed mixture alternately with the pineapple mixture., beating well after each addition. In a small mixing bowl beat egg whites on medium speed until soft peaks form, gradually add remaining sugar beating on high until stiff peaks form. Fold a fourth of whites into batter; fold in remaining whites. Spoon into two greased and floured 9" round pans. Bake at 350 degrees for 28-32 minutes or until cake springs back with lightly touched. Cool for 10 minutes before removing from pans. Let cool completely on wire racks. Once cakes are cooled down all the way make the filling. Beat the cream, sugar, and extract(I don't use the almond, I'm allergic, I will be using vanilla) Beat until stiff peaks form, fold in remaining pineapple. Split each cake into two horizontal layers. Spread about 3/4 cup of filling between each layer; spread remaining over the top and sprinkle with almonds.(again I don't use the almonds, I sucks being allergic to something so yummy) Keep refrigerated.

Blueberry Sour Cream Pound Cake

I love plain pound cake but this is fun.

Ingredients:

6 eggs, separated

1 c. butter, softened

3 c. sugar

1 tsp. almond extract

1 tsp. vanilla

3 c. flour

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1 c. (8 ounces) sour cream

1 1/2 c. fresh or frozen blueberries(if using frozen keep in freezer do not let them thaw out)

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add egg yolks, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add vanilla and almond extracts. Combine flour and baking soda; add to creamed mixture alternately with sour cream, beating well after each addition.  In a different mixing bowl with very clean beaters, beat the egg whites on high speed until stiff peaks form. Fold into batter with rubber spatula. Then fold in blueberries. Pour into greased tube pan and bake at 350 degrees for 60-70 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Cool for 10 minutes in pan then remove and let cool on wire rack.

K-Rab Salad

This is so yummy, you can also use cooked shrimp too, but I just get the cheap imitation krab.

1 pkg. krab (or 1 lb. shrimp, fully cooked)

1/2 c. mayonnaise

1 green onion, sliced thin (optional)

1 celery rib, sliced

1/2 of lemon, juiced

1 Tablespoon milk

2 tsp. worcheshire sauce

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 head of chopped and washed lettuce

Mix the mayo, green onion, celery, milk, lemon juice, and worcheshire sauce together and then add a little salt and pepper. then chop up the krab and let sit a few hours or overnight. Then add the lettuce. Keep refrigerated.

Blackberry Apple Pie

I made this for my fruit pie, I love apple pie, but it can be a bit boring. Adding blackberries just adds a nice flavor to regular apple pie.

Ingredients:

5 sliced thin, and peeled tart apples

1 pint fresh blackberries

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

3/4 c. sugar

2 Tablespoons corn starch

2 Tablespoons butter, small cubes

1 egg

1 Tablespoon water

additional sugar

2 pie crusts, unbaked

While slicing and peeling apples, to prevent browning place in a bowl of water that has a little lemon juice in it(not the tablespoon that is needed for the recipe) Then line a pie tin with pie dough and prick bottom with fork all over, then drain your apples and make an even layer of sliced apples on bottom of pie. Then in large bowl add remaining apples, blackberries, and lemon juice and gently mix together. Combine sugar and cornstarch and gently toss with apples and blackberries. Spoon into unbaked pie shell. Dot with butter cubes all over. Then you can either make a lattice top with other pie dough or make entire crust over the top, just be sure to cut slits into top to let steam get out, and seal edges. LIne baking sheet with foil or parchment paper and place pie on it. Beat egg with water and brush over the top, you won't use it all.  Bake at 375 degrees for 50 minutes or until apples are tender and juice is bubbly. When you take it out sprinkle top with sugar. Let cool on wire rack at room temp.

Basic Pie Crust

This is just my basic pie crust. This makes a lot since when I usually make pies it's more than two at a time. You can cut this in half.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 c. all purpose flour(use this kind, any other kind will turn out different)

2 c. butter, cubed and cold

1/2 c. water, you may need more(I usually just get a large cup of ice water)

2 tsp. salt

1 Tablespoon sugar

Put flour, sugar, and salt in large bowl and mix together, then using a pastry cutter cut in the butter until it resembles coarse and mealy. Then start adding cold water and using your hands combine until it just holds together. Do not over mix or add too much water. Add the water slowly and little bits at a time. Then shape into ball or flattened disc wrap in plastic and put in fridge for at least 20 minutes. Then cut into fourths and roll out into your pie tins. If you are making a cream pie or a filling that doesn't go into the oven. Blind bake your crust. Poke the entire bottom of pie dough in the tin with a fork. Then using parchment paper or foil line the tin and then cover with dry beans until mostly full and bake at 350 degrees for about 15 to 20 mins. Then remove beans and paper the crust should almost be done, then put bake in the oven and bake until golden.

Buttermilk Banana Cake

This is a yummy way to get rid of old black bananas other than banana bread.

Ingredients:

3/4 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

1/2 c. packed brown sugar

2 eggs

1 c. mashed over ripe bananas (about 2)

1 tsp. vanilla

2 c. cake flour

1 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 c. buttermilk

Filling:

1/2 c. sugar

2 Tblsp. flour

1/4 tsp. salt

1/2 c. half-and-half

2 Tblsp. butter

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. chopped pecans

Frosting:

2 c. heavy chipping cream

1/4 c. powdered sugar

In large mixing bowl cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beat for 2 minutes. Add bananas and vanilla, beat for another 2 minutes. Combine cake flour, baking powder, and soda, and salt. add to the creamed mixture alternately with the buttermilk. our into 2 greased and floured 9" round cake pans and bake at 375 degrees for 25-30 minutes. cool for ten minutes before removing from pan and letting cool completely on wire rack. 

For filling, combine the sugar, flour, and salt in a saucepan. Stir in half-and-half until smooth, and add butter. Bring to a boil, cook and stir for 2 minutes. remove from heat stir in vanilla and pecans. Cool, and spread between cake layers.

For frosting, beat heaving whipping cream in a clean bowl until soft peaks form and gradually add powdered sugar beating until stiff peaks form. Spread over top and sides of the cake. Store in the refrigerator.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Cheesecake

Plain cheesecake is just so boring

Crust:

1 3/4 c. crushed chocolate chip cookies or chocolate cookies (chips ahoy or oreo.)

1/4 c. sugar

1/3 c. butter, melted

Filling:

3-8oz packages cream cheese, softened

1 c. sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 c. (8 ounces) sour cream

1/2 tsp. vanilla

Cookie Dough:

1/4 c. butter, softened

1/4 c. sugar

1/4 c. packed brown sugar

1 Tblsp. water

1 tsp. vanilla

1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips

For the crust combine cookie crumbs and sugar in small bowl and mix together, add the melted butter. Press onto the bottom and up the sides of a 9" springform pan, and set aside.

IN a large mixing bowl, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth. Add eggs, beat on low just until blended. Add sour cream and vanilla, beat just until combined. Pour over crust, set aside. In another large mixing bowl cream butter and sugars until light and fluffy. Add water and vanilla. Gradually add the flour. Stir in 1 cup chocolate chips. Drop by teaspoonfuls over the filling, gently pushing the dough below the surface, you want the cookie dough mounds to be completely covered by cream cheese filling. Place your pan on a baking sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes or until cent is almost set. Cool on wire rack for 10 minutes, then carefully run knife along edges to loosen cake, cool for 1 hour longer, then refrigerate overnight. Remove from pan and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 c. mini chocolate chips.

Peanut Butter Sandwich Cookies

Peanut butter cookies are awesome, and with a peanut butter filling just adds to it's awesomeness!!

1/2 c. butter, softened

1/2 c. butter flavored shortening(I use the crisco sticks)

1 c. creamy peanut butter

1 c. sugar

1 c. packed brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tsp. vanilla

3 c. flour

2 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. salt

Filling:

1/2 c. creamy peanut butter

3 c. powdered sugar

1 tsp. vanilla

5-6 Tblsp. milk

Cream butter, shortening, peanut butter, both sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, add the vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, and salt and gradually add to the creamed mixture. Shape into even balls 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet, flatten with a fork to make cross hatches. Bake at 375 degrees for 7-8 minutes or until golden. Cool on wire racks. Combine all filling ingredients and beat until smooth, adding more milk if neccessary. Spread on bottom of cookie and top with another one to make a sandwich.

Soft Lemonade Cookies

As always I am finding lemon recipes.

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened

1 c. sugar

2 eggs

3 c. flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1 can(6 oz) frozen lemonade concentrate, thawed

additional sugar

Cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs one at a time. Combine flour and baking soda and add to creamed mixture alternately with 1/3 cup of lemonade concentrate, beating well after each addition. Drop by spoonfuls 2 inches apart and bake at 400 degrees for 8-10 minutes. Put on wire racks then brush warm cookies with the remaining lemonade concentrate and sprinkle with sugar, and let cool.

Chocolate Raspberry Cookies

I love anything to do with chocolate and raspberry

Ingredients:

1 c. butter, softened

3/4 c. sugar

3/4 c. packed brown sugar

2 eggs

3/4 c. chocolate chips, melted and cooled

1/2 c. fresh raspberries, pureed

3 c. flour

3/4 tsp. baking soda

3/4 tsp. salt

1 c. vanilla or white chips

In a large mixing bowl cream butter and both sugars until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one. Beat in melted chocolate and raspberries. Combine flour, baking soda, and salt. Gradually add to the creamed mixture. Stir in the white chips. Drop by spoonfuls at least 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until edges brown. Cool on wire rack

Eclair Paste

This is called pate a choux, or eclair paste, and you can also make cream puffs with it too. It takes a lot of eggs and you may not need them all. This can be kinda tuff with piping but give it a try, they are yummy!

Ingredients:

1 c. water

1 c. milk

3/4 c. plus 2 Tablespoons of butter, cubed small

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1 1/4 c. flour

8-11 eggs

In a sauce pan heat the milk, water, and salt and butter, until butter is completely melted, do not let boil until butter is melted. Once butter is melted, let it come to a boil, once it does take off heat and add all the flour immediately stirring to combine, put back on stove top stirring mixture constantly, until it comes together like a ball and leaves a film on the pan. Then put in a mixing bowl with paddle attachment, let it cool down a little bit. Then start adding eggs one at a time on medium speed. For the first few eggs stop and scrape if needed. You may not need all the eggs, once your mixture is yellowy, making threadlike ribbons while mixing and is shiny and firm, stop mixing. Now preheat oven to 325 degrees, and you'll want to line your baking sheet with parchment paper. Now take a large piping bag with a large circle tip, with no fancy shape, pipe your eclairs or cream puffs. For puffs just make a large dollop leaving no air pockets. If  you are making eclairs, and you want them to be filled with something, you'll want them at least 2 1/2 to 4 inches wide and 6 inches long with no air pockets. Once done piping bake immediately for 20-25 mins, or until light and fluffy, take one out of oven while rest are in and break it open, if it's eggy or moist it's not done. Once it just has a little bit of eggy texture turn off oven and let sit for 5 min then take out and let sit and cool completely. If cutting them open take out most of inside and fill with pastry cream, whipped cream. 

Key Lime Pie!

I made this today in class, and I'm in love! Okay it's not a true key lime pie cause it's impossible to get real key limes here, but regular will suffice. If you are able to get a hold of true key limes I applaud you and use them instead.

Ingredients:

Crust:

1 c. crushed graham cracker crumbs

1/2 c. sugar

1/4. c. butter, melted

Combine crumbs and sugar and mix in the butter, it should still be a little crumbly but stick together when pressed into the pie tin. Make an even layer of the crumbs in the tin and up the sides, it will not go along the lip. Then bake at 325 degrees for 10-15 minutes, let cool down on wire rack.

Lime Filling

4 egg yolks

4 tsp. lime zest

1 can 14 oz sweetened condensed milk

1/2 c. fresh squeezed lime juice

1 tsp. green food coloring (optional)

IN mixer beat yolks and zest with a whisk for 2 minutes on high speed. Then beat in the milk, then juice and food coloring(if you don't use the food coloring, it will be a very pale yellowy color. Let stand in bowl for a few minutes and it will start to thicken a little. Once it's thickened a bit, pour into the crust and spread out evenly. Bake at 325 degrees for 15 minutes, until center is set but still a little wiggly, and it will be firm. Let cool completely on wire rack. Once it's cooled down make freshly whipped cream, add a little vanilla and powdered sugar to sweeten it to your taste. Let it get firm peaks, then spread an even layer over the lime filling. Garnish with more fresh lime zest. Keep refrigerated. 

Salmon

Okay, I have a confession I love love love salmon, I would eat it every other day if I could afford it, and Mike was so kind to get me a few fillets today, and since I didn't have the stuff so make my favorite lemon and rosemary salmon, I decided to make my own up with what I had and what came out was so awesome, I guess this school thing is actually working. Here is my Sweet and Spicy salmon

4 fillets of salmon

3 TBS brown sugar

2 TBS soy sauce

2 TBS beef stock or broth.

1/8 -1/2 tsp. crushed red pepper (depends on how hot you want)

1/2 tsp. creole seasoning or chili powder

Put all in bowl and mix together and coat each piece evenly and let sit in the mixture while your skillet is getting hot. Heat you pan with olive oil over medium heat. Place each fillet in skillet and pour any remaining sauce over the salmon. Once a crust if formed on one side of the salmon turn over and let that side get crispy. let cook for about 10 min depending on how thick your fish is. Once it's turned opaque and flaky it's done!

Now here is my lemon and rosemary recipe

4 fillets of salmon

1/4 c. lemon juice

4 slices of lemon

1/4c. white wine (optional, but really it's so much better with it and the alcohol cooks out)

1 TBS whole capers

1/4 c. chopped fresh rosemary

salt

black pepper

olive oil

First take your olive oil and just pour a little over the fillet and rub all over top and bottom, then take a little pepper and salt and sprinkle over your fillet. Then take 1 tablespoon of the rosemary and rub over the fillet. then take a small piece of foil and put the salmon on it and create a little pocket and pour 1 tablespoon each of the lemon juice and wine over it, be sure to not let it spill out, keep it in the foil. then put 2 slices of lemon over the fillet and then 1 tsp of the capers. then wrap tightly in the foil. If you have a grill let it heat up to a medium heat and just put the foil wrapped pieces over and let cook about ten minutes. If still too pink let cook until opaque and flaky. If you don't have a grill it would work in the oven at 375 degrees.